Stop it. Stop making excuses. We're getting to the point in history where an unwillingness to vote, or not caring is simply unacceptable. And as a "millennial," it's particularly frustrating when people your age complain and talk about the state of politics, but polls say that only 46% of millennials actually voted in the last election. Do you know how many baby boomers voted? Almost all of them.

Not every country in the world has the ability to vote for their elected leaders, their policies and propositions, or make their voice heard in a democratic way. Not even every free country in the world has that right, and for women and minorities, the percentage is even lower.

As Wyomingites, we have a unique position when it comes to voting in elections. Due to the electoral college, our votes for national elected officials are technically more powerful than those in larger states. We're also one of the reddest states in the country, with registered Democrats being outnumbered 12:1. So that would make some that lean to the left say "My vote doesn't matter anyway."

Wrong.

As a political minority, your vote matters just as much, if not more. That's the beauty of a democracy, even a republic. Without opposing viewpoints to help enact compromise, the political structure becomes an autocracy, not a democracy. So if you're a left-leaning voter, vote proudly! If you're a right-leaning voter, you can vote proudly as well. It's not about party affiliation, it's about making your voice be heard.

So with that said, I'm making a blanket statement: If you don't vote, we can't be friends. Uber and Lyft offer free rides to polling places, you can use mail-in ballots, stop by the courthouse before election day, and in the state of Wyoming, legally, your employer has to give you 1 hour of paid time off to vote on election day (WY Stat. 22-2-111). Use it. If you're an adult, it's your democratic duty to vote. If you don't, I'm sorry, but I'm going to go hang out with the cool people over there who used the freedoms we fought for to make their voices heard.